The Newport-based ICC Wales has secured a number of notable repeat business wins for 2023, as it establishes itself as one of the UK’s most exciting new events venue and brings a significant boost to the South Wales visitor economy.

The disruptions of the pandemic meant ICC Wales only saw its first full year of trading in 2022, having launched in September 2019.

The venue’s woodland location, contemporary meeting rooms flooded with natural daylight, and internationally-acclaimed locally sourced cuisine has been widely praised by clients using the facilities for the first time, with many wasting no time in booking again for 2023 and beyond.

Repeat clients include Comic Con Wales, which welcomed more than 4,000 excited visitors in August and is set to grow in 2023, driving £1.7m in economic impact.

Other events returning in the new year include Howdens and their Golden Rooster Awards; James Murden’s “Audience With” events; the National Farm Attractions Network’s trade exhibition show; and the Church in Wales Governing Body.

Another repeat client is the University of South Wales, which has contracted five days of graduation ceremonies each year from 2023 until 2028 which ICC Wales secured as part of a detailed tender process.

Last year alone, ICC Wales hosted 33 of USW’s graduation ceremonies which had been postponed from the pandemic, welcoming more than 16,500 graduates into the university’s alumni.

The Open University will also hold its autumn 2023 graduation ceremony at the venue.

Danielle Bounds, sales director, ICC Wales, said: “The fact we have secured such a strong level of repeat business, as well as some major new clients for 2023, is testament to the quality of our facilities, the dedication and enthusiasm of our team, and the calibre of the events that we deliver. It has been incredible to welcome so many varied events during our first full year of trading and to receive so much fantastic feedback on how ICC Wales has provided the perfect venue and exceeded client expectations.

“Our focus on sustainability and delegate wellbeing, and the opportunity ICC Wales provides for outdoor space to be incorporated into events, means that we can meet, and often exceed, the requirements of the increasing number of event planners for whom these criteria are essential. We’re looking forward to continuing to build on this success into 2023 and beyond.”

Louise Casella, director, The Open University in Wales, said: “Since spring 2022, ICC Wales has been the venue for our Wales graduation ceremony. It’s our graduates’ chance to celebrate their success with their family, friends and tutors, and we want it to be a day they’ll never forget. We have students from all across Wales and further afield, so having such an accessible venue as ICC Wales is great. We have also found it useful to have a dedicated events team at ICC Wales, who help us run things as smoothly as possible.”